Hermione Meets the Doctor
by cigazze
Summary: In which the Doctor is pleasantly surprised by a small girl with bushy brown hair.


Hermione meets The Doctor

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, careful to close the door behind him. He had heard talk of a great beast lurking about this castle, and he thought that he would rather like to have a look for himself. Besides, it had been years since he last visited this place. The last time he was here old Armando Dippet was headmaster, and surely they'd gotten rid of him by now.

The Doctor looked around, not quite sure where he was to go. Dippet promised that the TARDIS would always be able to land directly inside Hogwarts, and it looks like he kept his promise. Still, it would be rude not to drop in on the new headmaster, wouldn't it? The only problem, however, was that he didn't quite know where he was or how he was to go about finding, well, anything. Not the headmaster and certainly not the supposed beast that he was here for.

While the Doctor was contemplating his next move, he didn't realize that a small girl with bushy brown hair holding a thick book in her arms had appeared at the end of the hallway and was staring at him curiously. She came closer and closer until she was standing only few feet from the Doctor and his big blue box. He started when he saw her and said, "Hello! I didn't see you there! Now, you're a student here aren't you? Excellent! Could you please direct me to - "

"You're the Doctor, aren't you?"

He froze in shock, staring at this small girl who seemed to know exactly who he was. He was fairly certain that he hadn't met her before, and he couldn't recall ever meeting someone with particularly bushy hair that might have told her stories about him in his travels.

She was smiling triumphantly up at him, and, well, she seemed harmless. There wasn't any trouble in telling her the truth, right?

The Doctor sighed, "So what if I am, then?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Hermione Granger, second year Gryffindor."

"Yes, yes, nice to meet you Hermione. Now, if you could plea – "

"I've read books about you, you know. In the library." The girl, Hermione, interrupted again, and what she said made the Doctor quite curious.

She had read about him? In books? She had read about him in books in the library of a magical school? Well, this was new.

"What do you mean you've read about me?" he asked. "What kind of books do they have at this school?"

Hermione laughed, "Normal ones I suppose. But don't worry, you're not mentioned much; just a few times in passing. It says you're called a Time Lord? Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right," the Doctor replied. He was quite amused now. This girl certainly does her reading.

"But, and forgive me sir, that title sounds a bit presumptuous doesn't it?" Hermione was looking at her feet as she said this but looked back up as the Doctor addressed her.

"Hermione, you're not a pure-blood witch are you?"

Hermione's face turned red and her voice shook as she answered him, "No, sir. I'm a Muggleborn. But that doesn't mean I'm less of a witch!"

The Doctor hurried to explain himself, "No no dear of course not! I was merely saying that you don't take too much stock in names and titles. Am I right?"

Hermione smiled gently and said, "Yes, I suppose you are. Neither do my friends. One of them is half-blood and one of them is pure-blood. I guess it just depends on what kind of person you are, doesn't it?"

The Doctor gave a short laugh before replying, "Yes, Hermione. I guess you're right. Some people are born good and some are born bad. Just depends on which straw you draw, eh?"

"Well then, Doctor. Which are you? Good or bad?"

He looked down at this small girl, hardly past his middle, wondering how she was so insightful. "Well, Hermione, it just depends on the day I guess. But today, love, today I'm good." He finished with a wink before addressing the task he came to the castle for.

"Now, Hermione, I need to get to the headmaster's office as quick as possible. Can you lead me?"

Hermione grinned and started off down the corridor with the Doctor following behind her. He paused a second before saying, "Er, who is the headmaster exactly?"

She gave him a funny look before shaking her bushy brown hair and saying, "Dumbledore, of course! Really, Doctor, how can you not know Dumbledore?"

He laughed, "Look, this is rather a long journey for me. Unplanned, too. Forgive me for not doing thorough research.

Hermione smiled but didn't say anything as they continued walking through the castle. They walked in silence and were climbing up a set of stairs when Hermione suddenly gasped and froze for a few moments before turning around and facing the Doctor.

"The books I've read about you," she began, "they all say that you appear wherever there's danger. They say that you come and you save the world." The staircase began to change but Hermione took no notice. She kept her eyes trained on the Doctor's. "Is that why you're here, sir? To save our world?"

The Doctor stared down at her, at this small girl who knew so much but still asked so many questions.

"Hermione, you don't need to worry about anything. I'm here on business and that's all it is." He knelt down on her level and looked in her eyes. "But, if your world does need saving, I'm definitely the man to do it."

He grinned at her before standing up and starting up the staircase again. Hermione smiled before rushing ahead of him to take the lead once more. The Doctor chuckled and followed her up to the headmaster's office.

"Now I'm just checking, but you haven't happened to have seen any beasts roaming around this castle, have you? Nothing large or hairy or anything like that?"

Hermione laughed before turning around, eyes bright, and saying, "Well, there is Hagrid, but I don't think he's quite what you're looking for."


End file.
